Karnataka BJP chief and Lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa has spiked the reports in some sections of the media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be contesting for 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the State. He termed the reports as far from the truth.
He told reporters in Bengaluru on Monday that "All this is far from the truth, unnecessarily such news is being spread. There is no substance in it."
There were reports in certain sections of the local media that with an aim to increase BJP's influence in the South, Modi was likely to contest from one of the southern States, most probably from Karnataka, along with Varanasi, the seat that he currently represents.
For a question on selecting the candidates for the November 3 bypolls to three Lok Sabha constituencies - Mandya, Ballari and Shivamogga - he said it will be finalised at the party's core committee meeting on Wednesday.
"Day after tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, we have called a core committee meeting where we will finalise our candidates for the three Lok Sabha constituencies and two Vidhan Sabha constituencies and send it to our national president for approval," he said.
The Election Commission on Saturday had announced the bye-elections in three Lok Sabha constituencies (Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya) and two assembly constituencies (Ramanagara and Jamkhandi).
The elections will be held on November 3 and counting of votes will take place on November 6.
The by-elections had been necessitated after BJPs BS Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga) and B Sriramalu (Ballari), and CS Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May last.
Since the Lok Sabha election is due early next year, the three major parties - Congress, JDS and BJP - were not expecting the EC to declare bypolls to these seats
Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant as Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy gave up the seat and retained Channapatna, the other segment won by him in the assembly elections.
BJP as part of its strategy concentrating in full throttle to re-enter South as Karnataka is seen the entry gate for the saffron party.
It is also learnt that BJP president Amit Shah is coming to state to work out strategy to take on collation of Congress and the JDs. BJP is presently not in power in any of the south Indian States.
Karnataka is the only state where the party has considerable presence and has had its government in the past.
The JDS-Congress combine is more or less confident of retaining two Assembly seats. But the bypoll to Lok Sabha, which will have just four months tenure, has led to both confusion and disappointment.
Acording to BJP sources former MP BY Raghavendra, son of Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shimoga.
The party has asked B Sriramulu to pick a candidate of his choice from Bellary. Even though it has no base in Mandya, the BJP is going to put a candidate to give some fight to the JDs.
Mandya is the stronghold of JDs led by HD Devegowda. In Mandya leaders in the Congress are opposed to give it to JDs but want Ramya Divyaspandana to contest. They feel if they go with JDs the Congress will lose its hold in the constituency.
The Congress is still looking for candidates in Shimoga and Bellary LS seats. The Congress and the JDs leaders are confident issues will be resolved soon.